By Rohit - February 20, 2025 10:19 PMIn a thrilling encounter at the Champions Trophy 2025, India clinched a six-wicket victory against Bangladesh, thanks to a masterful century by Shubman Gill and a solid partnership with KL Rahul. Chasing a target of 229, India reached 223/4 in 46 overs, with Gill scoring his 8th ODI century off 125 balls. The win marked a strong start for India in the tournament, showcasing their depth and resilience in challenging conditions.
Bangladesh: Tanzid Hasan, Soumya Sarkar, Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), Towhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Jaker Ali, Rishad Hossain, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman.
India: Rohit Sharma (capt), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav.
Opting to bat first after winning the toss, Bangladesh faced early setbacks. Mohammed Shami's fiery opening spell dismantled the top order, claiming the wickets of Soumya Sarkar and Mehidy Hasan Miraz, while debutant Harshit Rana dismissed captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, leaving Bangladesh reeling at 2/2. Axar Patel further compounded their woes by taking two wickets in consecutive deliveries, reducing them to a precarious 35/5.
However, a resilient 154-run partnership between Towhid Hridoy and Jaker Ali revived Bangladesh's innings. Hridoy showcased determination, scoring his maiden ODI century with 100 runs off 118 balls, while Jaker contributed a valuable 68 off 114 deliveries. Their efforts guided Bangladesh to a total of 228 before being bowled out in 49.4 overs. Shami was the standout bowler for India, achieving a five-wicket haul and becoming the fastest Indian to reach 200 ODI wickets in terms of matches, achieving the milestone in his 104th game.
In response, India faced early challenges as they lost key batsmen Virat Kohli (22 off 38 balls), Rohit Sharma (41 off 36 balls), Shreyas Iyer (15), and Axar Patel (8). Despite these setbacks, Shubman Gill anchored the innings with a composed and unbeaten 100 off 125 balls, marking his eighth ODI century. He was well-supported by KL Rahul, who contributed a steady 45 not out. Together, they guided India to victory with 21 balls to spare.
For India, Mohammed Shami was the star with the ball, claiming a five-wicket haul that dismantled Bangladesh’s top order. His early breakthroughs, combined with Harshit Rana’s crucial wicket of captain Najmul Shanto, left Bangladesh reeling. Axar Patel also contributed with two quick wickets, including a double-wicket over that nearly resulted in a hat-trick.
One of my most satisfying hundreds, and my first in an ICC tournament. Me and Rohit bhai thought cutting the ball was not easy. I thought of using my feet to clear the infield against the pacers. When the spinners came on, Me and Virat bhai knew it was not easy to pick singles of the front foot. We thought of rotating the strike and picking singles off the backfoot. The message from the dugout was to bat till the end when the pressure mounted after the quick wickets. Shubman Gill Player Of The Match
Losing five wickets in the powerplay cost us the game. I think so. Hridoy and Jaker batted brilliantly but we still made mistakes on the field. Dropped catches and a few runouts missed, the result could have been different. Impressive batting from Hridoy against their spinners. I hope they will continue doing the same. I don't think so. If we got wickets with the new ball it could have been different. Najmul Hossain Shanto, Bangladesh captain
Before you come and play you got to be confident. As the game goes on there are different emotions that come through. But there is a lot of experience in that dressing room. Gill and KL played really well. Very hard to say that after just one game. You play the conditions and try and think about what you do. We assessed the conditions well as a team. You are bound to be under pressure. Very happy for him, long time waiting. We know what he brings to us. We need guys like this to stand up when we need . - Rohit Sharma, India captain
India have made a successful start to their Champions Trophy campaign. While the victory wasn't overwhelming, it was adequately convincing. Bangladesh displayed commendable bowling performance, but their fate was sealed during the initial 10 overs of their batting innings.
Also Read in English: Watch Video: Pakistan vs New Zealand, Champions Trophy 2025: Watch Full Match Highlights
